The former soccer player put together one of the most jaw-dropping pro day performances in recent memory
By John Breech Mar 23, 2026 at 2:19 pm ET • 4 min read 
Courtesy of @UTSAFTBL Going into NFL Draft season, not many people around the league knew the name Jaffer Murphy, but there's a good chance most teams are aware of him now after the kicker delivered a stunning performance at the University of Texas at San Antonio's Pro Day.
With 18 teams in attendance, Murphy put on a show. Not only did he run a 4.5-second 40-yard dash, but he also recorded a 45-inch vertical jump, which would have ranked as the second-highest of any player at this year's NFL Scouting Combine.
Of course, when you're a kicker, it also helps to make your kicks, and Murphy did that, too. He hit 12 of 13 field goal attempts, including a 70-yarder he drilled despite a crosswind.
The most impressive part of the 70-yard field goal might have been that it cleared the uprights with a few yards to spare.
A kicker who runs a 4.5 and can kick a 70-yarder?!?! (via @UTSAFTBL, @jaffermurphy, @EnnsZoneKicking) pic.twitter.com/4K4IYGt6lZ
— NFL (@NFL) March 23, 2026
If you're wondering how Murphy flew under the radar despite his booming leg, there's actually a good reason for that.
Murphy started his college spots career playing soccer
The 24-year-old attended three different schools before finally landing at UTSA for his final year of eligibility. As a freshman, Murphy played soccer at Drake, where he was one of just two freshmen to see the field for the Bulldogs. He scored a goal in his third career game and earned Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman honors.
By 2023, Murphy had moved to Florida Gulf Coast, where he continued his soccer career. During his lone season there, he scored one goal and logged 255 minutes over 11 games.
The transition from soccer to football
In 2024, Murphy decided to play football and transferred to Division II Lake Erie College. He played just one season with the Storm but immediately earned the starting kicking job. It quickly became clear he had a booming leg, though he remained a raw talent, which was expected for someone who had never kicked a football before.
Murphy struggled with accuracy in his first year, hitting 13 of 21 field goals, but he did drill a 60-yarder in an October 2024 game against Kentucky Wesleyan.
Happy New Year! TransferPortal Kicker Season stats: 13 FG’s 60 yd conference record 28 TouchBacks 17/17 XP’s #1 & #7 Furthest FG’s (D2 nationally) First Team All Conference Second Team All Region pic.twitter.com/fHdVohHdHX
— JafferMurphy (@jaffermurphy) January 1, 2025
Following the 2024 season, Murphy entered the transfer portal hoping an FBS team would add him, and that's exactly what happened in January 2025 when he landed at North Carolina.
That's right -- one of Bill Belichick's first moves with the Tar Heels was bringing in Murphy. The coach, who has built a career identifying successful kickers like Adam Vinatieri and Stephen Gostkowski, took a chance on him. In April, North Carolina added another kicker, Rece Verhoff, through the portal, and shortly after, Murphy decided to transfer to UTSA.
Since it was his final year of eligibility, Murphy wanted to play, and the Roadrunners gave him that opportunity. He didn't win the kicking job but served as the team's kickoff specialist.
Murphy had 88 kickoffs in 2025 and recorded 54 touchbacks, the second-most in school history for a single season.
NFL comparison: Jake Bates
With Murphy's soccer background, his most obvious comparisons are Brandon Aubrey and Jake Bates, who both transitioned from soccer to football. Murphy is probably closer to Bates. The Lions kicker also had a booming leg in college but was similarly raw and didn't win the starting job in his final season.
During Bates' senior year, he served as Arkansas' kickoff specialist but couldn't unseat Cam Little. (Yes, that's the same Cam Little who now plays for the Jaguars. Little has one of the strongest legs in the NFL and showed it last season by setting the league record with a 68-yard field goal.
As for Bates, despite his big leg, he went undrafted. He spent two seasons in the UFL before NFL scouts took notice after he hit a 64-yard game-winner for the Michigan Panthers in March 2024.
Jake Bates' first FG kick SINCE HIGH SCHOOL was a 64-yd game-winner 😱 (via @XFL2023, @USFLPanthers) pic.twitter.com/TVgnmyIdzW
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) March 31, 2024
After the UFL season, Bates earned a tryout with the Lions and made the team. He has spent the past two seasons in Detroit, and although his accuracy has been inconsistent -- he hit just 79.4% of his field goals last year -- he still boasts a powerful leg. Since 2024, Bates has hit four field goals of at least 58 yards, the third-most in the NFL over that span (behind Aubrey and Minnesota's Will Reichard).
Speaking of Aubrey, as good as he is, he also spent two seasons in the UFL to refine his skills, making it a logical stepping stone for Murphy if he lands there.
A stint in the UFL might actually be the best outcome for Murphy, as he could quickly emerge as a star in that league.
The UFL has a new rule this year: Any successful field goal from 60 yards or more is worth four points. Not many UFL kickers have the leg to consistently hit from that range, but Murphy does, which could make him a valuable weapon.
Will Murphy get drafted?
Given his raw skill set, the most likely outcome is that Murphy does NOT get drafted and instead follows a path similar to Bates and Aubrey.
His pro day performance was impressive, but it came without pads, a snap, or a pass rush, so NFL teams will want to see him kick under those conditions before adding him.
Murphy served as a kickoff specialist at UTSA, but that role is more challenging in the NFL. It's not just about blasting the ball out of the end zone, which is essentially what Murphy did at UTSA; the new kickoff rules require more precision, as kicks must land in a designated zone.
The other factor working against him is that kickers are rarely drafted. Only two were selected in 2025 -- Tyler Loop (Ravens) and Andres Borregales (Patriots) -- and both were four-year starters.
Because of Murphy's raw ability, teams may prefer to sign him as an undrafted free agent and develop him. He'll need to improve his accuracy to stick in the NFL, but regardless of how it plays out, he's a name to watch over the next few months.
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